climbing up from the drain

yesterday seemed to have lasted much longer than just 24 hours. from the World Cup games to the amazing Sunday night shows, it felt like a week was crammed into one day. and it was worth it.

the World Cup games yesterday were amazing. the Netherlands came from behind to beat Mexico 2-1 with two very late goals. god, i hope that is how Manchester United will play under van Gaal. Costa Rica beat Greece on penalty kicks. i was amazed at how poorly Greece played up a man for almost 60 minutes. i guess it's just not in their DNA to attack. Costa Rica 1(5) - Greece 1(3).

that makes me 4 for 4 in my picks so far.

today France plays Nigeria and Germany plays Algeria. hopefully there will be two more wildly competitive games. i have France and Germany moving on, like most of the world does.

i wrote 2 poems last night and typed them up this morning. i really like both of them. i'll probably be sending out some poems in the next week or so.

i might have watched 10 minutes of the Yankees loss to the Red Sox last night, 8-5. that's three series losses in a row. not good. they play again tonight against Tampa. if they can't beat that shitty team, it's time to start worrying. or make a fucking trade already.

the Sunday night shows were really good last night. Big Brother makes me laugh as i love how they try to twist what they show against what actually happens in the house. Nurse Jackie was great. the ending really sets up next season nicely. Californication was great as well. to close the series off with the same song they ended the first season with was a great touch. i will really miss that show. Penny Dreadful blew my mind last night. easily, the best show of the last few months, maybe even years. i can't wait for the next season of that. Last Week Tonight was funny as always last night. that show is quickly becoming a favorite. i did watch The Leftovers last night. pretty fucking weird. probably would have helped if i read the book first. i'll try to watch the next episode to see if it grips me better than the first one.

i'm looking forward to Monday Night Raw tonight. i'm not pleased with the direction they went in the ppv last night, but that's not unusual. most guys who have watched for as long as i have think they can book it better.

my new meds seem to be working, knock on wood.

the weather is crazy as usual here. more chances of pop up thunderstorms today and tomorrow. as long as it doesn't knock out the satellite feed, i'm cool with it. i just want it to move out of here so my back can get some relief.

that's all for me today. hope everyone had a great weekend.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight
Paolo Nutini - Iron Sky
Drivin' N' Cryin' - Straight to Hell

"Always be smarter than the people who hire you." - Lena Horne

it's not the heat, it's the humidity

it's been so damn muggy around here for the last week or so, anytime i walk out of the house i feel like i am in Florida again. and i haven't been in Florida since i was a child.

i told my mother yesterday that when we move, we're not having any pets come with us. this is their punishment for strategically placing shit all around the yard where i walk to feed the birds. and trust me, fresh cat shit and heat just don't mix well, even if it's on the bottom of an old pair of shoes.

if the World Cup is going to be anything like the first game yesterday, holy shit. Brazil survived Chile on penalty kicks. Brazil 1(3) - Chile 1(2). i thought for a few moments that my pick to win it all would blow up in my face. hell, it still might. in the other game Colombia beat Uruguay 2-0. let the James Rodriguez bidding begin. he's going to get a massive raise before too long.

today, the Netherlands take on Mexico. i'll have my eyes glued on that one given the various Manchester United connections in it. afterwards, Costa Rica plays Greece. some lucky team will be getting to the quarterfinals unexpectedly.

i have Costa Rica and Netherlands advancing today.

the Yankees lost last night 2-1. Tanaka made two mistakes and it got him a loss. sucks when that second mistake comes in the top of the 9th with 2 outs. why he would shake off the catcher to throw his third best pitch is beyond me. i also put some blame on the catcher for allowing him to do it. but, the biggest blame comes down to the offense again that looked like they were swinging a wet paper bag at the plate. the rubber game of the series is tonight on ESPN. i have no clue if i will bother with it or not.

ROH was a retrospective on Michael Elgin and his path to the title last night. a pretty good episode. i'm not that big of a fan but he has certainly paid his dues and deserves a chance to run with the ball.

i'm ok with whom the New York Rangers drafted yesterday. they traded back a few times and got more players, which is usually a good thing. most of the guys will end up being depth guys if they do make it to the NHL. now the real nail biting begins with free agency. the GM is already laying the ground work for players walking away. great.

i'm really looking forward to the Sunday night shows tonight. the season finales of Nurse Jackie and Penny Dreadful. the series finale of Californication. and another new episode of Last Week Tonight. if i find the time, i may check out the new HBO show The Leftovers. of course, i've been so damn tired here lately, i probably would be better off sleeping. not sure if i'm going to watch the next episode of Big Brother tonight or not, as i already know what's going to happen.

i got a late start this morning as i had an awful night of sleeping. even with the fan and air conditioning on, i could never get comfortable. good times.

i need to get the trash picked up and the cats fed before the games start today. and i also need to fit in breakfast and reading the paper. and of course, since it is trash day, it's supposed to storm. why am i not surprised.

that's all for me today. hope everyone is having a great weekend. or at the very least, better than mine.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

The Ragged Jubilee - Can't Stop Loving You
The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
Exitmusic - The Cold
Will Hoge - Woman Be Strong
Beach House - Myth
Metallica - Bleeding Me

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley

recovering from hell

i believe the heat index was somewhere in the mid 90's. any sane person would have waited until later in the day. thankfully, i'm not sane. so at 2 in the afternoon yesterday, there i was, long sleeve shirt, sweatpants, hat, gloves, SPF 105, sunglasses, and not much of a choice. i figured the faster i mowed, the better off i would be. 4 hours and not enough water breaks later, i was done. it looks good. and i got it done before the next round of rain. now i get to pay for it the rest of the weekend. the beauty of having sensitive skin is i usually spend a weekend on the toilet after a few hours in the sun. good way to become a hermit.

i've figured out over the years that when i truly want to slip through the cracks and fall off the grid, i will have no problem doing so. case in point, i had my doctor's appointment for 3 months before yesterday. somehow, i wasn't in the books for having one. this happens all the time with these type of places. the beauty of being poor. all building blocks for my insanity.

saw the parents of my best friend of my childhood yesterday at the grocery store. was a little weird. let's just say none of us that stay in this area age well.

the Yankees got some great pitching last night from an unlikely source, finally hit some damn home runs, and emasculated the Red Sox 6-0. that was a victory beer i wasn't expecting. they play again tonight with Tanaka on the mound. i believe it's on FOX, not sure if i'm going to watch or not.

the World Cup starts back up today. should be 2 pretty good matches. at least i'm hoping they are. Brazil vs. Chile and Colombia vs. Uruguay.

thankfully, i had just enough cat food to feed the cats yesterday morning. but, seeing that this is my life, one of the new bags of cat food had a hole in it. i didn't figure this out until i put it over my shoulder and was carrying it into the house. good times.

the doctor put me on some new arthritis medicine that i start tomorrow. i take this one twice a day. hopefully it works a little better than the previous one. my neck pain is doing pretty good. i could feel it yesterday while i was mowing since the pills weren't ready while we were at the grocery store. thankfully, mom picked them up while i was mowing, because that was the first thing i reached for when i got done. and then some water.

i believe ROH has a new episode tonight. hopefully i'm awake to see it.

i did watch a good portion of the NHL Draft last night. i'll probably end up watching a good portion of it today as well. the league set the salary cap at 69 million. i believe most teams thought it was going to be at 71. the New York Rangers were one of those teams. so, looks like many of the guys from the run to the Stanley Cup Final won't be back. i'll know for certain when July 1st rolls around.

if i somehow don't get sick today, i may do some writing. starting to get that itch again. plus, anytime i go out into public, i'm a people watcher. some people think that's creepy. i think it's simply that observant fuckers make better writers. hopefully i have proved that over the years.

that's all for me. i do hope everyone has a great day doing whatever the fuck normal people do on weekends. i know, that's a BIG assumption by me that normal people actually read this blog.

be well. be creative. be well hydrated.

peace...

Royal Blood - Out of the Black EP
The Jezabels - Dark Storm EP
Old Crow Medicine Show - Down Home Girl EP
Nightwish - Ghost Love Score (Live)

"Humor is just another defense against the universe." - Mel Brooks

busy ass day part 2

since my mother got home much later than she thought she was going to last night, i didn't end up going to the store. so, that turns today into one giant clusterfuck.

i might have enough food to feed the cats this morning before i go to the doctor, might not. that should be interesting. regardless, after the trip to the doctor, we have to go to the tractor supply store to get cat food and then to the grocery store to pick up medicine and our food. and since today is the only dry day for the foreseeable future, i then need to get back here and start mowing the grass. i imagine that is going to take the rest of the hours that the sun is up. i'm really hoping i get it done by then as it is supposed to start raining again tonight.

now imagine my stress if i don't have enough to feed the cats this morning and have to squeeze that in after the trip to the grocery store. oh, and i need to figure out when i'm going to eat today. good times.

the only thing i plan on watching this evening is the Yankees vs. Red Sox. if i miss most of it because it took me so long to get the grass cut, so be it. given who is pitching for the Yankees, i probably won't want to watch anyway.

i was not upset when the USA lost to Germany yesterday, 1-0. mostly because CR7 scored for Portugal to ensure that the USA would be advancing. and seeing that it was the first time ever they have advanced out of the group stage in back to back World Cups is HUGE. and, none of the soccer experts in this country had them getting out of the group of death. that was great to see them eating some crow last night. now, the real fun begins.

to recap the scores from yesterday, Germany won 1-0. Portugal beat Ghana 2-1. Belgium (with 10 men) beat South Korea 1-0. Algeria and Russia played to a 1-1 draw. a HUGE draw for Algeria. that means the USA plays Belgium and Germany plays Algeria in the next round.

that sets up the knockout round. here is the bracket...

i have Brazil beating Argentina in the finals, mostly because i don't have the guts to pick something else. i do have the USA upsetting Belgium. that's the only real upset i see happening. i almost chose the Netherlands to make it to the finals... almost. i did pretty well in the group stage, got 3 groups completely correct and at least had 1 team right in all of the groups. yes, i'm playing fantasy soccer, get over it.

the knockout games start tomorrow with Brazil vs. Chile and Colombia vs. Uruguay. those two games should be fun.

i did watch Big Brother last night. not sure what to think of the cast this season. as long as i am entertained, i really don't care. it will be interesting to see how the twists play out over the course of the season. i'm not sure many of the players are smart enough to know what is going on at all most of the time.

i also watched the NBA Draft last night. i only watched it to put a bow on the college basketball season. of course, i would have needed to watch the European leagues to know many of the players.

that's all for today. i need to get some breakfast in me and scrounge the bottom of the barrel for some cat food. i really don't want to feed these fuckers in the afternoon while i should be mowing. i've got parts of the lawn that is over 12 inches high. this will not be fun.

hope everyone has a great start to the weekend. hopefully you have some great weather and free drinks to enjoy.

be well. be creative. be a nuisance. be helpful. be a shining light of destruction and mayhem.

peace and chicken grease.

music:

Arcade Fire - Wake Up
Rival Sons - Electric Man
Dinosaur Jr. - Feel The Pain
Trampled By Turtles - Where Is My Mind (Live)

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller

running on fumes

so, my bright ass got on iTunes last night because i have avoided it for a week or so. next thing i know, it's 4 AM and i really need to sleep. but, i wasn't tired. so i was up at 6 and then again at 7:30. it was at that point that i said fuck it, and just decided i'm up for the day. needless to say, i will crash like a motherfucker after the USA vs. Germany game today.

while i wish FIFA would have banned that dirty fuck Suarez for life, 9 international matches and 4 months is better than i thought they would do.

since we're on the topic, here's your World Cup recap... Argentina beat Nigeria 3-2 in a very entertaining game. Bosnia-Herzegovina defeated Iran 3-1. Switzerland beat Honduras 3-0 and France and Ecuador played to a 0-0 draw, even though that game should have had many goals in it. that sets up Argentina vs. Switzerland and France vs. Nigeria in the knockout round.

today, Group G is really all that matters. Portugal plays Ghana. USA vs. Germany i hope will be a really good game, as i believe both teams won't be playing for a draw. in other action, Belgium plays South Korea and Algeria plays Russia. today will be the last day of group play. hopefully, i'll find a knockout round bracket that i can fit on here for tomorrow.

the Yankees actually won last night, 5-3. that victory beer was a little unexpected. they have today off, thankfully. today happens to be Derek Jeter's 40th birthday. that makes me feel really old. they play tomorrow night against the Red Sox.

i did watch Big Brother last night. of the first 8 house guests, i can easily see me hating all of these people by the end of the summer. the other 8 get revealed tonight. i don't mind the "new" twists so far. i'm sure that will change as the producers usually find a way to fuck something up.

Wilfred was great last night. i wish i still smoked pot, i would have enjoyed it more.

and i saw the commercial that The Bridge is coming back to FX on July 9th. i can't wait. of course, it will be on that the same time as Wilfred on FXX, so i will have to figure that out somehow.

now i have a decision to make... do i go into town and get the mail and feed the cats before or after the game?

after a trip to the store this evening, i believe i will be watching the NBA Draft, at least parts of it i guess.

that's all for me. i better get off of here before i pass out or start typing bizarre bullshit.

hope this finds everyone well. if you're an American and not skipping work to watch the game today, FUCK YOU. the best thing is i will be drinking as long as one of the teams win. i do hope is the USA loses they will still qualify for the knockout round. it certainly would be less entertaining for me if they don't.

be well. be creative. be drunk. and don't give a shit that it's a Thursday.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Suicidal Tendencies - You Can't Bring Me Down
Kitten - Why I Wait
X Ambassadors & Jamie N. Commons w/Jay Z - Jungle (Remix)
Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs
Brandi Carlile - Creep (Live)

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho

take a bite out of...

when i saw it happen yesterday, i laughed. this is what happens when you let a dirty fuck like Luis Suarez continue to play a sport when he should be locked up in an institution. maybe with his THIRD incident like this happening at the World Cup, perhaps he will get the right punishment this time. and god willing, his country and whatever shitty team he ends up playing for, pays for it. but, considering this is FIFA, my hopes aren't high that they will do the right thing.

to recap yesterday's action, Uruguay won 1-0 over Italy in an ugly game. Costa Rica and England played to a 0-0 draw. at least the English got a point in this tournament. Colombia continued their run as the most entertaining team in the tournament, winning 4-1 over Japan. Greece won 2-1 over Ivory Coast on a late penalty kick. i missed that as we had a nice little nasty storm come through and knock out the satellite feed. this all sets up the knockout round games of Columbia vs. Uruguay and Greece vs. Costa Rica. talk about 2 teams no one saw playing each other in the round of 16.

today will be Argentina vs. Nigeria, Iran vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Honduras vs. Switzerland, and Ecuador vs. France. i'll be interested to see how Groups E and F shake out.

the Yankees got down by 6 runs last night. they came all the way back to tie the game late. and then lost on a throwing error in the bottom of the 9th. it feels like they are inventing ways to lose now. at least they scored some runs finally. they play again tonight, looking to avoid the sweep.

i enjoyed Deadliest Catch last night. i also enjoyed Tyrant. the twist at the end of the first episode will definitely have me coming back each week.

tonight, two of my guilty summer pleasures will be coming back on television. Big Brother and Wilfred. i know what i will be watching instead of the Yankees playing like shit again.

i was hoping that it was going to be dry yesterday so i could mow this forest of a lawn out here today. and the way the damn forecast looks, it might actually rain for 3 more days. that would make nearly 2 damn weeks of rain. not good.

i did a little art last night. this morning i crumpled it up, but i didn't throw it away. i think it looks more interesting crumpled. if my lazy ass remembers, i might take a picture of it later.

all this rain is doing some serious havoc to my back. i can do all the stretching i need to and i still feel tighter than shit back there. guess it's a good thing i never moved to the pacific northwest like i thought i was going to at 18.

i see the doctor on Friday. my 3 month checkup for my neck and arthritis. my neck is nearly pain free. this rain certainly hasn't helped my arthritis at all.

that's all for me today. i'm off to go ice my back down and squeeze in a nap. hope everyone is doing well. and i certainly hope you live in a place where the sun still exists.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Sturgill Simpson - Turtles All The Way Down
The Black Crowes - Oh Josephine
Mike Mattison - Midnight In Harlem

"I'm not afraid to look like an idiot." - Anthony Bourdain

i'll sleep when i'm dead...

when you find yourself sweeping the floor at 4 in the morning, i think you have pretty much come to the conclusion that you'll just sleep when you're dead. the fact that i was back up and at it at 8 in the morning simply cements it.

when i hit the post office later today, i'll be mailing 3 poems to Chiron Review. when i hear back from them, i'll pass along the verdict.

the Yankees played like shit again last night, losing 8-3. that's 3 losses in a row that have been UGLY. might be time for a trade or some injection of youth. no point in having kids do good in AAA when they might as well be up in the show. they play again tonight.

in World Cup action yesterday, Spain won 3-0. enjoy the flight home. Netherlands beat Chile 2-0. Mexico beat Croatia 3-1. Brazil won 4-1. that sets up in the knockout round Brazil vs. Chile and Netherlands vs. Mexico. those are 2 juicy games. bring on the weekend.

today, Costa Rica plays England. Italy plays Uruguay in the game of the day. Colombia plays Japan and Greece goes against the Ivory Coast. i'm interested to see how Group C and D shake out.

Monday Night Raw was pretty good last night. i thought it did a decent job of setting up the upcoming ppv this Sunday.

tonight, especially if the baseball is as shitty as last night, i'll be watching Deadliest Catch. and then i'll probably watch Tyrant on FX. that channel usually has some damn good shows that i'll take a chance on for at least an episode or two.

if you happen to watch my new YouTube video and like it, please share it. or at the very least, tell me you like it...

if you watch it and don't like it, i'll be even happier that i wasted a minute of your life.

i was on the toilet this morning and looked out the window and saw a deer eating some grass maybe ten feet away. i'll almost miss being able to see that when(ever) we move from here.

not looking forward to another hot ass day here. it's just so damn muggy. hopefully this slow moving cold front gets through here and gives some relief.

got an art idea that i'm going to try to flush out late tonight. probably use some markers and my twisted imagination. if i actually like it (rare), i'll post some pictures.

that's all for me. i hope this finds everyone well. until tomorrow my enemies.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Paolo Nutini - Iron Sky
Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy
Steve Earle - Colorado Girl

"War is God's way of teaching Americans geography." - Ambrose Bierce

my new YouTube video

here's my new video...

"what it all means" (originally published in Nerve Cowboy #36)

my 2 poems in Pink Litter #6

my poems "good morning" and "the east side of town" have been published in Pink Litter #6. you can find the issue by going here: http://pinklitter.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/pink-litter-6.pdf

mere seconds away...

i have been a sports fan for nearly my entire life. being punched in the gut by a game is not new to me. hell, i quit believing in happiness after 2001 when the Yankees lost in the World Series. so, last night, when the USA gave up the goal in the final seconds against Portugal, i was stunned, shocked, hurt, upset... but really fucking happy it wasn't a loss. probably helps that i was watching wrestling about 3 minutes after the game, so my mind was occupied. while the 2-2 draw keeps everyone in the group of death alive, i still feel pretty confident that the USA WILL advance to the knockout round. of course, come Thursday, i might be feeling different.

in the other games yesterday, Belgium beat Russia 1-0 in one boring ass match. thankfully, i didn't watch much of it. Algeria beat South Korea 4-2 in a pretty entertaining match.

today starts the final games of the group stage. the day starts with Group B. Spain vs. Australia in a game that means nothing. Chile vs. Netherlands to determine the group winner. in Group A action, Brazil plays Cameroon in what should be an entertaining game. and then the HUGE match between Mexico and Croatia. that will determine who gets out of the group. hopefully another good day of action.

the Yankees played like shit yesterday. Tanaka pitched well enough to deserve a better fate, but the offense decided it wanted the day off. 8-0. at least the fucking Old Timer's game was entertaining. it was good to see some of the guys i remember from my childhood, following the Yankees in the newspaper and by baseball cards. they play again tonight in Toronto.

the ROH ppv last night, Best in the World, was great. 3 hours of non-stop action. some really good matches. a few holy shit moments. a title change that i didn't see coming. i thought it was a very good start to a new era in ROH. hopefully the buy rate is good enough that they will do another one.

got an invite to submit some poems to the Chiron Review in the mail over the weekend. i'll definitely have to come up with something to send their way.

mom is up in Columbus for most of the week. so, i'll be home alone. how i wish i still had the energy i had in my twenties. i might try to do some creative shit while i'm alone. i haven't painted since god knows when. and i've had a YouTube video idea brewing in my head for months now. hopefully, i have the right batteries in the house as most of my shit is dead at the moment.

i need to get some gas sometime in the next few days. the grass is getting to the point of ridiculous. of course, it's rained at some point like every day for the last week or so. doesn't look like it will be "dry" until the end of the week.

the Sunday night shows were excellent last night. Last Week Tonight had me laughing. Nurse Jackie was a really good setup for the finale next week. Californication was good. the series finale is next week. i'll be a little sad to see one of my favorite shows end. Penny Dreadful was spectacular last night. i can't wait to see how this season ends. if Eva Green doesn't win something for this series, i'll be shocked.

tonight will be a mix of baseball and Monday Night Raw. and then if i'm up to it, some creative outbursts.

hope this Monday is finding everyone well... not too hungover from the weekend, be it sports, alcohol, sex, etc...

be well my enemies, i will return tomorrow. hopefully with pictures.

music:

The Band of Heathens - Hurricane
Mother Love Bone - Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns
Conor Oberst - Cape Canaveral
The Black Crowes - The Last Place That Love Lives
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Learn How to Love

"Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle." - Wilma Rudolph

and the busy ass day begins

how the hell is the day of rest my busiest? so much shit going on today it is ridiculous. on with the show...

the Yankees got their asses handed to them yesterday, 6-1. it was like batting practice for the Orioles. today is the rubber match and it is also Old Timer's Day. so, there will be swimming with nostalgia here in a bit. and then, Tanaka takes the mound. hopefully i will be drinking a victory beer this afternoon.

the World Cup yesterday was thrilling and CRUEL. Argentina beats Iran 1-0 on a Messi goal in the 91st minute. CRUEL. Nigeria beats Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 on some shitty officiating and a huge save late. CRUEL. Ghana and Germany played to a 2-2 draw that was absolutely thrilling to watch. and this opens the door for today.

Belgium plays Russia, who cares. Algeria plays South Korea, who cares. USA plays Portugal. if the USA wins today, they advance to the knockout round. they will also take the lead in the group of death. and they will also shut up a ton of fuckers all around the world. needless to say, i will be glued into that game, intense as i was in the Stanley Cup Final. hopefully, i will be celebrating around 8 pm this evening.

after watching ROH last night, i am definitely tempted to order their first PPV tonight. thankfully, it starts after the USA game. chances are, i will be watching some wrestling this evening.

after that gets over, i'll try to fit in my Sunday night shows... Nurse Jackie, Californication, Penny Dreadful, and Last Week Tonight. looks like it is going to be a late one for me.

i still need to pick up the trash, sweep some floors, clean some toilets, do the dishes, feed the cats and pray for some dry weather so i can mow the grass before it gets over a foot tall.

now breathe.

hope everyone is having a great weekend. hope it finishes well for you.

be well. be creative. be understanding. be the fire that never goes out.

until tomorrow my lovely friends and enemies...

music:

Barbarian Overlords - The Harvester
Rival Sons - Electric Man
Kelly Sweet - In The Air Tonight
Michael Franti & Spearhead w/Cherine Anderson - Say Hey (I Love You)
The Crystal Method - Busy Child
Shooter Jennings - The Gunslinger
Accept - Balls to the Wall

"Only the mediocre are always at their best." - Jean Giraudoux

too much for even the greatest

my poem "too much for even the greatest" was published today at The Camel Saloon. you can find the poem by going here: http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.com/2014/06/too-much-for-even-greatest.html

response from Pink Litter

i heard back from Misty at Pink Litter on my poetry submission from May. my poems "good morning" and "the east side of town" have been accepted for publication. they should appear in the next issue.

dusting off the poetry chops

i knew damn well i wasn't going to get much sleep last night (more on that in the Yankees update below), so i decided to break out the notebook and start writing. more of a shit and giggles exercise as i really had nothing i wanted to write about. about 30 minutes later, i had busted out 4 poems. i typed those up this morning and i actually liked them. maybe after the World Cup, i'll do a submission or two.

the Yankees frustrated me for most of the evening. they wasted chance after chance with the bases loaded, which is slowly becoming the theme of this season. Kuroda went from pitching a no hitter to losing in a matter of seconds it seemed like. the Yankees were down 2 runs going into the bottom of the 9th. all i ever ask of my teams is that they give themselves a chance to win. down 2 runs, get some base runners. that's what they did. McCann  got a RBI single to cut the deficit to one. and then Carlos Beltran decided he wanted to have his Yankee moment. a walk off 3 run HR, the Yankees win 5-3. that was a sweet victory beer to drink. they play again this afternoon.

yesterday is truly the reason i love the World Cup. anything can fucking happen. Costa Rica STUNS Italy 1-0. say goodbye England. i can just see the torture the English will feel if the USA advances further in this tournament than them. France destroyed Switzerland 5-2. France is starting to look like the teams i remember in the late 90's. Ecuador beat Honduras 2-1. Group E is going to come down to the final day.

today's action starts off with Argentina vs. Iran. next up will be Germany vs. Ghana. i will definitely have my eyes on that one. and the day ends with Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Nigeria. hopefully another day of goals.

got some music from one of my favorite bands today on NoiseTrade. i can never get enough of Shovels & Rope. i'll post the link to the FREE sampler below in the music section.

my sister made it to the wedding she's a part of this weekend without any problems. the weather was crazy around here once again yesterday. it was crazy watching the malls south of town have flood waters coming inside of them. i guess that rules out mom wanting to move south.

sadly, i have put my cat Tito Jackson on the dead list. i haven't seen it in over a month. and it wasn't one the cats that liked to wander. so, down to 14 now. at least with names that is.

that's all for me today. i hope everyone has a great weekend. congrats to Antonio Valencia on his new 3 year deal to stay at Manchester United.

be well. be creative. be drunk. be better than your imagination. take it easy. take it again.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
Shovels & Rope - NoiseTrade Sampler
The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends

"If you are lonely when you're alone, you are in bad company." - Jean-Paul Sartre

the sun comes up tomorrow England

my bad back seems to have turned the corner. i spent most of yesterday working on it. ice, stretching, ice, stretching, rinse and repeat. at least i was able to get some sleep. perhaps that was the 2 victory beers. not sure.

i was very happy for Wayne Rooney yesterday, FINALLY getting a goal in the World Cup. of course, England still lost to Luis Suarez, 2-1. they need to have Italy do good today to still be alive in the tournament. in other action yesterday, Colombia defeated the Ivory Coast 2-1. Colombia is sneaky great and will be a tough out. Japan and Greece played to a scoreless draw, even though Japan was a man up for the last 55 minutes of the match. sometimes it was like watching paint dry.

today, the game of the day comes early. Italy plays Costa Rica. HUGE match. next sees Switzerland play France. and then, Ecuador takes on Honduras. hopefully, another good day of matches.

the Yankees completed the sweep of Toronto last night, winning 6-4. they now are 1 1/2 games out of first place. they play against Baltimore tonight, the start of Old Timers weekend. and no, that's not a joke about the current team.

the weather is still crazy here. we had flooding all around us after all the rain yesterday. somehow, we didn't get much. maybe around an inch or so. go 1 mile to the south, they got 3 inches. today is supposed to be some more storms. figures, as my sister will be on the road.

looks like another evening of baseball and flipping around to avoid commercials. i'll probably end up on the Food Network if the Yankees aren't doing well.

that's pretty much all for me. i have a bad back to go ice down. and breakfast to eat.

be well. be creative. be the evil your parents were scared of.

peace and chicken grease...

tried my hand at doing the story with the song titles again...

music:

Arcade Fire - Wake Up
Chuck Mead - Sittin' On Top of the Bottom
Stereophonics w/Tom Jones - Mama Told Me Not to Come
John Prine - It's A Big Old Goofy World
Jeffrey Gaines - In Your Eyes (Live)

"I like my whisky old and my women young." - Errol Flynn

back pain and thunderstorms

we had some pretty big storms roll through here last night. i haven't been out to check if we had any damage yet. i wasn't pleased that the power went out 2 different times last night. just long enough that the clocks needed to be reset. good times.

my sister made it down here last night. she brought me the stuff she got me in NYC. pretty cool. she's going to attempt to cook this new recipe for breakfast. god help us all.

my back was in horrific pain last night while i was doing the dishes. i fear that i have another bulging disc. i'm going to try to hold out to my doctor's appointment next week. fingers are crossed.

the Yankees offense showed some life last night, beating Toronto 7-3. that's their 15th straight win at home over Toronto. they go for the sweep tonight.

the World Cup saw the end of the empire yesterday. Spain lost to Chile 2-0, thus being eliminated from the World Cup. Croatia beat Cameroon 4-0 to set up a huge game against Mexico on June 23rd. in the game of the day the Netherlands beat Australia 3-2 in a back and forth affair.

today's action sees Colombia take on the Ivory Coast. that should be fun. Greece plays Japan. and in the game of the day, a MUST WIN game between England and Uruguay.

that's pretty much all that's going on in my world. i'm off to go feed the cats, check for damage, and then ice my back down for the rest of the day.

hope this finds everyone well.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

My Morning Jacket - Rocket Man
Gary Jules - Mad World
Trampled By Turtles - Where Is My Mind? (Live)

"If you have one true friend you have more than your share." - Thomas Fuller

surviving the brutal heat

around 6 pm yesterday, the heat index was at 97. that's too high for my sensitive skin. i fully expect to go out and find dead cats later this morning. or maybe the dumb fuckers actually figured out why the water is out there for them.

my back is doing slightly better, like how the number 13 is slightly larger than the number 12. i'm hoping a nice hot shower will help.

on to your daily World Cup updates...

Belgium came from behind to beat Algeria, 2-1. South Korea and Russia played a mistake filled 1-1 draw. Mexico and Brazil played one of the more entertaining 0-0 draws you will ever see. Mexico can thank their goalkeeper for that point.

today the Netherlands plays Australia, Croatia plays Cameroon, and in the juicy affair of the day, Spain plays Chile. that is a MUST WIN game for Spain. should be entertaining.

i believe my sister is coming down here tonight. first chance she's had to get down here for mom's birthday. i suppose there will be cake.

the Yankees got another great outing from Tanaka (minus that first pitch home run he gave up) and just enough offense to win 3-1. Tanaka is now 11-1 with an ERA under 2. worth every fucking penny. they go for the series win tonight.

Deadliest Catch was pretty damn good last night. loved the look on Sig's face when he got the news that his daughter would be coming fishing with them. priceless.

not sure what i will be watching on television this evening, other than baseball. this may be an evening where i get a little writing done or spend hours working on my back.

that's all for me. i suppose i should get out to feed the animals before it gets too damn hot again.

hope this finds everyone well. be cool.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

The Chemical Brothers - One Too Many Mornings
Thieves Like Us - Drugs In My Body
Ghost Loft - So High
DJ Shadow & Little Dragon - Scale It Back
Grouplove - Let Me In
Sneaker Pimps - 6 Underground
Portishead - Glory Box
Low - Stay

"Being convinced one knows the whole story is the surest way to fail." - Phil Crosby

revenge is sweet

roughly about 45 minutes after i posted on this blog yesterday, i went outside to feed the cats. and while doing so, i threw my back out. nothing quite like being frozen in pain while the cats are looking at you like, put the food in the bowl fat ass. i eventually made it back inside, slowly. and since it was mom's birthday, i went into town to get the mail. thank god for adrenaline. i iced it down some yesterday and was hoping that a good night of sleep was going to help. lets just say i'll be doing some more ice today.

when the USA scored 34 seconds into the match yesterday against Ghana, i was thrilled, shocked, and pissed at the same time. pissed because i know how this team operates. they were going to try to defend for the next 90 minutes. sadly, that's pretty much what they did. when Ghana tied the score, i figured getting a point out of this game would be good enough. when the USA scores in the 86th minute and the adrenaline starts flowing through my veins again, it was at the top of my lungs screaming, DEFEND FOR YOUR LIVES BOYS. and they did. to FINALLY beat Ghana is some sweet revenge. considering they have to play Germany next and most likely will be eliminated after that game, is even sweeter. the USA next plays an injured and suspended Portugal team. the USA has injuries as well. and that game is in the middle of the jungle. a draw would most likely get the USA into a great spot for getting out of the group. a win, especially if Germany wins the day before, gets the USA out of the group of death. i will be hoping for a win on Sunday.

also yesterday, Germany destroyed Portugal 4-0. helps that Pepe lost his mind once again. Portugal was losing 2-0 at the time. hopefully Portugal feels sorry for themselves come Sunday. in the first goalless draw of the tournament, Nigeria and Iran did their best to put me to sleep. if my back wouldn't have been killing me, i might have actually got to sleep.

today's action is Belgium vs. Algeria. (Belgium is my sleeper team for the World Cup). Russia plays South Korea. and in the game of the day, Mexico plays Brazil. given that many of these players faced off in the Olympics when Mexico beat Brazil for the gold medal, i would think Brazil will be looking for a little revenge today. might watch that game in Spanish.

Monday Night Raw was excellent last night. helped that the adrenaline from the USA win was still pumping inside me while i was watching. love that they are giving some of the younger talent more of a push now.

Louie had an excellent season finale last night. could have gone without seeing some male ass in the episode, but oh well. another excellent season.

tonight is a Tanaka Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. they start a series with Toronto, who is 4 1/2 games ahead of them in the division. a pretty big series for June. i'll be watching that until Deadliest Catch comes on. quite honestly, all my viewing tonight depends on how my back feels.

hope this finds everyone well. and in better health than me.

until we meet again my friends...

music:

Dinosaur Jr. - Feel the Pain
Rancid - Ruby Soho
Icona Pop - I Love It
St. Vincent - Digital Witness
The Glitch Mob - Can't Kill Us

"What gives the artist real prestige is his imitators." - Igor Stravinsky

been waiting 4 years for this day

today is a day for revenge. today is a day i wish i was in Brazil. today is a day where the USA begins the journey to shock the world. i have waited 4 years to watch them have a chance to get back at Ghana for knocking them out of the last 2 World Cups. and, if they want ANY chance of getting out of the group of death, they MUST win today.

needless to say, i will be a little wired for today's game.

starting off the action today will be the juicy affair between Portugal and Germany. and before the USA plays, Iran takes on Nigeria. should be (hopefully) a great day.

yesterday was some great games at the World Cup. Switzerland scored the latest goal ever in group play (20 seconds left in the 93rd minute) to defeat Ecuador 2-1. France beat Honduras 3-0. helps that Honduras was down to 10 men for the entire second half. Argentina was sort of blah for most of the game, and then Messi had a moment of magic. Argentina wins 2-1. they will need to play much better to get to where they want to get to in this World Cup.

the Yankees decided they wanted to end their road trip early and basically didn't show up for most of the game yesterday in Oakland. they eventually lost 10-5. they were down 6 by the third inning. thank god i didn't waste much time on that game. they are off tonight.

i didn't watch much of the NBA Finals last night either. i didn't miss much.

the shows last night were excellent. Nurse Jackie was great. Californication reminded me that i have no adult friends that live near me. Penny Dreadful was spectacular last night. one of the best episodes of the season. Last Week Tonight had me laughing the entire 30 minutes. can't wait to next week.

tonight, the soccer should be over in time for me to flip to Monday Night Raw. and then, at some point tonight i'll try to catch Louie. this might be the season finale, not sure. haven't been keeping track. hopefully i will be watching while having some victory beers.

gave mom her birthday gifts this morning. she loved them, as i hoped she would.

the weather is supposed to get oppressive here this week. temps in the 90's with humidity. oh joy. i guess i'll find out this week how dumb the cats really are. and hopefully the air conditioner doesn't go out.

that's all for me today. i made it through all of yesterday without writing about my father. mission accomplished.

hope this finds everyone well. enjoy the day.

peace and chicken grease...

The Pretty Reckless - Heaven Knows
Rival Sons - Electric Man
The Black Angels - Evil Things
Old Crow Medicine Show - Down Home Girl
G. Love & Special Sauce - Who's Got The Weed

"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." - W.C. Fields

avoiding the trap

today is Father's Day. i would normally celebrate this day by writing a series of poems about my shitty father. i've decided to avoid that today. i think i have beaten that horse too often. instead, i will do today just like my father is doing, pretending the other doesn't exist.

mom and i went to this food truck yesterday that comes into town every other week or so for some BBQ. i had some really damn good brisket, some slaw, mac&cheese... really good.

speaking of my mother, she turns 61 tomorrow. let me just say, she's not exactly looking forward to it.

the Yankees lost 5-1 last night/early this morning. they had some lights go out in that dump out there in Oakland, so that delayed the game for about 45 minutes. the offense ran into a pitcher that has owned them here lately. they will go for the series win this afternoon.

in World Cup action yesterday, i thought Colombia looked the best. they beat Greece 3-0. Italy defeated England 2-1 in a game that was pretty entertaining, especially if you dislike the English. Costa Rica came from behind to stun Uruguay 3-1. as a guy who dislikes Luis Suarez immensely, this made me very happy. and lastly, Ivory Coast came from behind to beat Japan, 2-1. just call it the Drogba effect.

today starts off with Switzerland vs. Ecuador. next is France vs. Honduras. and lastly will be Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina. hopefully there will be plenty of goals like the rest of the games. it doesn't help me sleep but it does keep me entertained.

not sure if i will watch much of Game 5 tonight in the NBA Finals. probably just a glance or two.

my Sunday night shows will start with Showtime tonight. Nurse Jackie, Californication, and my current favorite, Penny Dreadful. and then i have some time to kill before Last Week Tonight on HBO. i suppose in that time to kill i should actually finish my mother's birthday gifts.

ROH was excellent last night. a great match between Adam Cole and Kevin Steen finished off the show. if the rumors are true, i can't wait to see what Kevin is able to do in the WWE.

that's all for me today. i've got toilets to clean, trash to pick up, ungrateful cats to feed, breakfast to eat, and a bad back to stretch out before the games start today.

hope this finds everyone well, enjoying your weekend. to all the good fathers out there, hope you have a great day. to all the bad ones, mine included, wake the fuck up or die already. that is if your dumb ass hasn't changed the life insurance policy already.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Paolo Nutini - Iron Sky
The Band of Heathens - Hurricane
U2 - Bad (Live)
Shooter Jennings - Gunslinger
Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell

"I may be crazy, but it keeps me from going insane." - Waylon Jennings

embrace the pain

there is nothing sadder than looking at yourself in the mirror after the hockey team you have lived and died with since you were a child loses in double overtime in the Stanley Cup Final. and then trying to not break down like a child when you start to shave off the playoff beard. it's more than just a punch to the gut. it's like the lord has rolled up the newspaper and is now rubbing your face in an endless pile of shit. and i still need to eat breakfast.

the Rangers lost 3-2 in 2OT to end their season. congrats to the Kings. they are a great team. why the refs thought they constantly needed help in the series is beyond me, but that's just a bitter fan talking. Henrik was great once again but when it mattered, no one could score a fucking goal. lose 3 overtime games in a series and trust me, this will haunt every member of that team if they actually give a shit. i do expect them to make some big changes in the offseason. hopefully getting rid of some of that top heavy dead weight will go a long way to getting them back to the promised land again. and i certainly don't want to go another 20 years before they make it this far again. thank you boys for a great ride. and thank you to my razors for still working after not being touched for months.

the Yankees won their 4th win in a row last night, 7-0. Phelps pitched WAY better than he has in something like EVER. and the bats are FINALLY starting to show signs of life. they play again tonight out in Oakland.

the World Cup yesterday was pretty interesting. Mexico won 1-0 in a game where they were robbed of 2 goals that should have counted. Chile won 3-1 against an Australia side that showed more fight than people thought they had. but the shocker of the day was the Netherlands DESTROYING Spain 5-1. when RVP scored the goal right around the end of the first half, i immediately thought about how wonderful this will be when he is doing it for the same coach when they are both at Manchester United in a few months. and watching how Louis van Gaal manipulated his side filled me with some hope of what he will do at United.

today there are 4 games. Colombia vs. Greece. Uruguay vs. Costa Rica. Ivory Coast vs. Japan. and the big game of the day, England vs. Italy. that will be one juicy affair.

so you know what i'll be doing for most of the day.

the cold front FINALLY got through here and the weather is damn near perfect. if i wasn't so depressed last night, i might have actually enjoyed the windows being open and it feeling as cool as it was. i should be able to open up the house for most of the weekend.

plus, i'm sure the birds will be happy now that i'll start putting food out for them again. i don't like feeding them in the rain. mostly because i'm lazy.

i didn't get to bed until 4:30 in the morning. i was up again around 8. i'm guessing that at some point in the afternoon, some boring soccer is going to help me get some more sleep. and hopefully that will allow me to be awake when ROH comes on late tonight.

did some digging on iTunes last night to find some appropriate songs for my mood. you'll see those results below.

hope everyone has a great day. be well. enjoy the World Cup. hope for better officiating. and hopefully the England vs. Italy game doesn't disappoint.

peace my enemies...

music:

Joe Bonamassa - This River (Live)
Skip James - Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues
Lightnin' Hopkins - Letter to My Back Door Friend
The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
The Verve - Drugs Don't Work
Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand

"Cure for an obsession: get another one." - Mason Cooley

will this cold front move the fuck on already...

just imagine the fucking joy of waking up with your back screaming after only 3 hours of sleep. good times.

it never fails with my life. if my sports teams are doing well, there will be some boulder in my personal life that will undoubtedly fall. and the opposite is true as well. so i was checking my email last night after the Yankees won again and there was an unexpected email from a former girlfriend. she wanted to know if i was going to the festivities planned for our 20th high school reunion. given that this email was the first i had heard of anything, i told her my best guess was no. then, feeling slighted for the ten thousandth time since i graduated, i did a little digging on the internet. i found some dates and that the money was supposed to be in a week ago or so. but, did i find the actual amount of money needed or what was actually planned? no. much like it was in high school, i was only part of the cool kids when i had drugs and alcohol. so, i hope they have fun over Labor Day weekend. i imagine i'll be busy mowing grass.

the Yankees got the sweep last night in Seattle, winning 6-3. got another great pitching performance from Chase Whitley and amazingly, Derek Jeter showed some life once again last night. they play again tonight in Oakland. not sure they will have the same great results there.

i didn't watch much of the NBA Finals last night as the game was never close. i don't give Miami much of a chance down 3-1. especially when they would have to win 2 of those games in San Antonio.

the New York Rangers play a MUST WIN Game 5 tonight against the Kings. considering they should have won the first 2 games out there, i have a little confidence in them tonight. if Lundqvist can play on his head again, i'll have even more confidence. i'll be glued to that game tonight. and unfortunately, i'll have the shaving shit ready in case they lose. but i'm not ready to get rid of the playoff beard just yet.

i did watch Brazil beat Croatia 3-1 yesterday in the World Cup. talk about some shitty officiating. Brazil did not play good at all for most of the match. Croatia certainly deserved at least a point out of that match. and Brazil will have to be MUCH better if they actually want to win it all. today will start off with Mexico vs. Cameroon. the late match will be Chile vs. Australia. but the middle match is the juicy match of the day. Spain vs. Netherlands. considering that Manchester United's new coach is the coach of the Netherlands, i'll definitely be interested in that one. plus, it's a rematch of the finals of the last World Cup. should be another interesting day.

i'm hoping to get out to feed the cats before all that begins today. i believe my cat Whitey's kittens are just about ready to be unleashed upon the other cats. one escaped where she had them yesterday and was playing around in the other barn with the adult cats. Whitey did not look pleased at all. i laughed as hard as i could.

that's all for today. unless something fucking crazy happens or i get something published, i'm not planning on being on here until tomorrow morning.

hope everyone has a great weekend. be well. be creative. be loud. be proud. be drunk. be willing to realize your mistakes tomorrow.

peace...

music:

Arcade Fire - Wake Up
Kelly Sweet - In The Air Tonight
Rival Sons - Electric Man

"I always feel like rejection is my petrol. That's what keeps me going." - Laura Kightlinger

still alive and kicking

the New York Rangers showed life last night, got some great puck luck, and The King stood on his head. he stopped 40 of 41 shots last night and the Rangers won 2-1. this forces the series back out west for Game 5 on Friday. here are the highlights:

the Yankees got a great start from Tanaka (minus the Cano HR in the 9th), a rare 3 run HR from Tex and won 4-2. Tanaka is fucking amazing. he is now 10-1 on the season. worth every fucking penny they spent on him. they go for the sweep tonight.

not sure when the last time i had two victory beers in a night was. feels like weeks. needless to say, i slept well last night.

the World Cup starts today with Brazil vs. Croatia. i think this match will be a little tighter than most people believe it will be.

after that, i really need to get the fucking dishes done. i've been a lazy bastard here for the last few days. of course, i probably will be that way for the next month as well.

tonight, i will be watching a little basketball, some baseball, and god knows what else. chances are i will fall asleep at some point as the weather continues to fuck with my back.

mom got me this cool ass New York Rangers shirt. it arrived today in the mail. has all the players names on it, forming a big NY. pretty damn cool. will be even cooler if they happen to win it all.

that's pretty much all for me today. i'll be on here tomorrow with some World Cup updates, my thoughts heading into Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, some NBA musings, some bathroom humor, maybe some poetry news, and who knows what else.

hope everyone is well. hope everyone enjoys the World Cup. i decided i'm drinking anytime the USA wins (since i'm American), anytime Germany wins (since i'm part German), and anytime a Manchester United player scores (since i'm an alcoholic).

peace and chicken grease my enemies...

music:

Tegan and Sara w/The Lonely Island - Everything is AWESOME!!!
Swedish House Mafia - Save The World (Knife Party Remix)
AC/DC - Rock 'N' Roll Train
Love and Rockets - So Alive
Portugal. The Man - Purple, Yellow, Red and Blue

"No one has ever become poor by giving." - Anne Frank

now or never

tonight is Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. deep down in my soul i truly believe the Rangers will play with the urgency needed to win. now, i've thought that for the first 3 games as well and they haven't had one puck bounce their way. they need to score first tonight and let the crowd get behind them big time. the last thing any Rangers fan wants to see is another fucking team skating the cup around on our home ice. i'm trying to have nothing but positive thoughts for tonight, but, as many of you know about me, that's damn near impossible.

the Yankees FINALLY got a clutch hit when they needed one and won last night, 3-2. Tanaka pitches tonight, so they might actually win a series for a change. i'll turn that on after the hockey game is over.

i thought Deadliest Catch was pretty good last night. it was good to see one of the old boats back in action. hard to believe i've been watching that show for 10 years or so.

i did catch bits and pieces of the Spurs blowout win last night in Miami. i was a little shocked by it, but, this is what happens when one team doesn't play any defense at all. you dig yourself too big of a hole and then spend all your energy trying to get out of it. that's a recipe for losing.

it's been rainy here all day long. my back has been barking since i woke up. not fun.

glad to see the mail i sent to Sweden arrived today. at least something still sort of works in this country.

the World Cup starts tomorrow. i will be glued to that for most of the games. definitely for any games involving the USA or Manchester United players. hopefully it will be an entertaining few weeks.

happy birthday to my first true crush. i know you'll probably never see this, but i hope you are doing well.

that's all for me today. i'll be on here tomorrow early in the afternoon, maybe even the morning. before all the World Cup festivities begin.

hope this finds everyone well. until we meet again my enemies...

peace and chicken grease...

music:

Rival Sons - Electric Man
Phillip Phillips - Raging Fire
Glamour of the Kill - A Freak Like Me
The Pretty Reckless - Heaven Knows
Grouplove - Let Me In
Sturgill Simpson - Turtles All the Way Down
Kelly Sweet - In The Air Tonight
Nightwish - Ghost Love Score (Live)

"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." - Vince Lombardi

hello depression, my name is...

on top of feeling down today, for some fucking reason, my internet was out for nearly 3 hours this afternoon. i didn't bother to call the clowns at Frontier Communications, for i know damn well they wouldn't have a fucking clue what the problem would be. they never do. the only way i realized it did pop back on was the breaking news alert i got of another school shooting. ah, welcome to America.

last night was what i really feared in the series between the Rangers and the Kings. given that the Rangers have a tendency to not finish around the net when they really need to, if the Kings clamped down on defense we would be fucking screwed. and sure enough, last night the Kings played defense. Quick was amazing in net for them as well. Kings win 3-0 to take a 3-0 lead in the series. if i had to make a bet, i would wager that this series is over on Wednesday. of course, i've thought the Rangers were dead before in these playoffs. sadly, the thought is slowly becoming reality. but i won't shave off the playoff beard until it is over.

at least the Yankees were rained out last night. less misery for me to endure. they play tonight in Seattle. that will be on late enough that i can watch all of Deadliest Catch before it will begin.

Monday Night Raw was pretty damn good last night. i feel bad for Daniel Bryan. he's not recovering as fast as hoped, so he got stripped of the title last night. hopefully he has saved his money well in case he can't come back. i do like where the Seth Rollins vs. The Shield feud is going. the more Dean Ambrose can be on the mic, the better. case in point:

Louie was absolutely great last night. brought back some memories for me in school. and absolutely made me thankful that i don't have children. i highly recommend it. check it out if you get a chance.

other than Deadliest Catch tonight and some baseball, i imagine i'll flip on the NBA Finals at some point. probably the last 5 minutes if the game is close. that's really all you need to watch of a pro basketball game.

figured out the 3 new kittens belong to my cat Robin. so, Batman and Robin both had kittens in the last 3 weeks or so. isn't that cute. anybody want some fucking cats?

as you might imagine, there was a ton of music listened to today with the internet down.

hope this finds everyone well. a big happy birthday to my high school love. stay beautiful my friend.

i'll be on here tomorrow, hopefully, in the afternoon. feigning positive thoughts about the upcoming Game 4. at least if the Rangers get swept, hockey will be over before the World Cup starts. and i'll have a few pounds less of hair on my face.

peace and chicken grease my enemies...

music:

Chuck Mead - Sittin' On Top of the Bottom
Deer Tick - Goodbye, Dear Friend
Exitmusic - The Cold
JJ Grey & Mofro - This River
Metallica - Bleeding Me
Ryan McMahon - I'll Be Damned
Sia - Breathe Me
Tinsley Ellis - Kiss of Death
Will Hoge - When I Get My Wings

"My best attribute is knowing when not to answer stupid questions." - Gina Gershon

the start of another week

today has been a cloudy and gloomy mess. doesn't exactly give me a great feeling for tonight.

mom decided to do some car pooling today so she drove me to the bank. i didn't mind, as i'm low on gas anyway. made my deposit without any drama this time. i believe the teller had to be new as she was way too nice. my mom's bank is a long ass drive from mine, so there was plenty of music listening and commenting on how bad this area has got since our childhoods. after that, drove back to town to get the mail and some lunch. got some great fanzines in the mail from my friend in Sweden, Janne Karlsson. check out his site
http://www.svenskapache.se/.

i did write one poem yesterday. i got a line stuck in my head in the afternoon and by 10 pm, the words were flowing. i'm proud that i was able to multi-task as i was watching Penny Dreadful at the time. typed the poem up this afternoon and i like it. i suppose i'll find out how good it is when i send it out.

the shows last night were excellent. Nurse Jackie was good and ended with a little mystery. Californication was great once again. Penny Dreadful blew me away last night. it filled in plenty of the back story and some questions about the main characters. just pure fucking brilliant. Veep was hilarious. two excellent episodes to end the season. and Last Week Tonight was great. the piece on the World Cup and FIFA was fucking brilliant.

tonight will be a crazy night of television. all starting at the same time will be the New York Rangers MUST WIN Game 3 at home; the Yankees game in Kansas City, and Monday Night Raw. talk about a night i need the Elvis wall of televisions. needless to say hockey will get most of my attention for the evening.

and at some point i need to figure out how to squeeze in a new episode of Louie as well.

the Yankees were horrific yesterday, going 1 for 17 with runners in scoring position. they lost 2-1. totally pissed away a great outing from Kuroda. i doubt they will win tonight to split the series.

i expect MSG to be crazy tonight. and the first time the refs fuck up, the place will probably explode. i'm really hoping the Rangers win tonight as i don't want to wait another 20 years for a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

i found 3 more kittens today. i have no fucking clue who the mother is as these 3 were sitting outside, all balled up. i'm going to go back out there before dark and hopefully figure out who they belong to. i think they may be Cookie's but that is simply a guess.

had another weird day on iTunes. my brain continues to amaze me.

that's all for today. hope the case of the fucking Mondays eluded you today. i'll be on here tomorrow, probably in the afternoon. hopefully with that taste of a victory beer on my lips.

be well my enemies. peace...

music:

Accept - Balls to the Wall
Iron Maiden - The Trooper
The Zombies - Time of the Season
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band - On the Dark Side
Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up)
St. Vincent - Digital Witness
X Ambassadors & Jamie N Commons - Jungle
The Glitch Mob - Can't Kill Us

"You can't go to the store and buy a good ear and rhythm." - Les Paul

my 2 poems at Dead Snakes

my poems "something to make me whole" and "the promise of a better tomorrow" have been published at Dead Snakes. you can find the poems by going here:
http://deadsnakes.blogspot.com/2014/06/j-j-campbell-two-poems.html

when anger and frustration boils over

i have been a sports fan for nearly my entire life. i have seen bad calls go against the teams i root for since birth it feels like. hell, i watched one ref steal an entire series for the Lakers over Sacramento back in the day. and the NBA will never convince anyone that they didn't steal that series. last night was probably the most upset i have been at officiating in my 38 years on earth. when the Rangers get fucked over on 2 blown calls and both times, the puck ends up in the back of their net, it's infuriating. to have it happen in the Stanley Cup Final and cost them a Game 2 they needed to win... let's just say if this was soccer in South America there would be 4 officials that would be murdered by this morning. the sad thing truly is, the officiating has fucking sucked for the entire NHL playoffs. and that's for all the games, not just the ones the Rangers have lost. now, i do know that most people will say this smells like sour grapes, especially given that the Rangers blew 3 different 2 goal leads last night (lost 5-4 in 2OT). and i admit, it probably is. but to see a league fuck over one of the most loyal fan bases on earth, that haven't had a championship, let alone, ANYTHING to celebrate in 20 fucking years so the Kings could win their second title in 3 years is beyond me. i personally hope that the refs return the favor at MSG for games 3 and 4, but i doubt it. and if the horrific officiating continues, i hope the fans march down to the league office in NYC and burn it to the ground.

as you might expect, i haven't had much sleep.

i did manage to find the Yankees game last night on tv. part of the beauty of having the baseball package is i get the games that the rest of the country doesn't. after watching bits and pieces of them losing 8-4, i wish i wouldn't have been able to watch last night. they play again later in the afternoon. i'm hoping my anger leads me to passing out before the game starts.

on the bright side, team USA looked pretty damn good yesterday in beating Nigeria 2-1. i think they may have found the right guys to be the back 6 for the World Cup. and thank god, Jozy Altidore found the net again. hopefully, just in time for some goals in the group of death. here is his second from yesterday:

hopefully they will be ready for Ghana when the World Cup begins. time for some revenge against that country.

on top of all my anger today. 3 of my right toes are killing me. i don't think they are broken and i don't remember kicking anything yesterday, but it is totally a pain i don't need. especially given the fact that is trying to rain today and my back is currently on strike. if there ever was a time to start a heroin addiction...

hopefully i will be in a much better mood by the time the Sunday night shows start. i believe i will start off with the Showtime shows and then flip over to HBO afterwards. i am looking forward to the double episodes of Veep tonight. i believe that is the season finale of it. i could be wrong with that, i don't have time to keep track.

at some point i will flip over to see what is going on in Game 2 of the NBA finals. would be funny if somehow the air conditioning just happens to go out again tonight.

and if i am somehow still awake come late tonight, i might actually try to unleash some words on the page. no guarantee that will happen though. my production tends to slow down in the summer. i tend to like to pretend i have a life during these months. pretend would be the key word there.

i hope this finds everyone in a MUCH better mood than i am. i'll be on here sometime after my trip to the bank tomorrow.

be well. be angry. be the asshole that can make yourself laugh at the misery of others. and be mindful that someone is laughing at you as well.

adios mis amigos

i tried to get creative and tell a story with the titles of the songs below. not too bad. i might try this more often...

music:

The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight
My Best Fiend - On the Shores of the Infinite
Shooter Jennings - The Gunslinger
K's Choice - Not an Addict
Barbarian Overlords - The Harvester
Dr. Dog - Shadow People
Pistol Annies - Hell on Heels
INXS - Not Enough Time
XTC - Dear God

"I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw that my bath toys were a toaster and a radio." - Joan Rivers

what happens when an insomniac sleeps in

amazingly, i got some sleep last night. now, before you get too happy, it wasn't good sleep. two hours in my chair, two hours in the bed and then, after being disgusted that i was up at 6:30, two more hours in my bed. i haven't got that much sleep in months. hopefully, that will help me stay awake for everything going on today.

the Yankees won last night, 4-2. was nice to see Chase Whitley get his first major league win, even though DRob threatened to fuck it up again in the 9th. that victory beer became a victory rum and coke, with more rum than normal. i think that explains the sleep. the Yankees play tonight but i doubt i will be able to see it. i believe it is on FOX tonight, so it will only be seen in New York and Kansas City. i'll hunt around to see if i find the feed on Directv somewhere, but i won't have my hopes up.

i watched a good portion of Portugal vs. Mexico last night. wanted to scout Portugal a bit since they are in the same group of death with the USA. Portugal won late, 1-0.

here in a little bit i will start my crazy sports day. first up will be the USA vs. Nigeria in their final tune up for the World Cup. before that is over, The Belmont Stakes will be running as California Chrome tries to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. and after that is over, the New York Rangers play Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Kings. this is a MUST WIN game for the Rangers. after all that, and hopefully a few victory beers, i'll be watching the new episode of ROH. i'm hoping their ppv coming up is at a good price. i might just be ordering it.

saw a news story today about how fast the internet is in Chattanooga, Tennessee. blew my mind. might have to check out moving there.

it's warmed up here today, just in time to create some havoc for tomorrow morning. the crops are looking pretty good, but a little rain every few days makes them look so much better. and that always leads to making more money off of them.

i finally got the check i was waiting for in the mail today. so, looks like i will have more stories from the bank on Monday.

that's all for today. hope everyone is having a great start to their weekend. i'll be on here in the morning tomorrow, after breakfast and trash duty. and hopefully before it starts to rain and after feeding the damn cats. good times.

be well. be creative. be the cool motherfucker in the bar that everyone knows better than to fuck with. be the prankster. be the gangster. be the only prick that can actually play the guitar.

peace and chicken grease my enemies...

music:

AC/DC - Rock 'N' Roll Train
In This Moment - Whore
Sharon Van Etten - Taking Chances
Butthole Surfers - Pepper
Grouplove - Let Me In
Joe Ely - The Road Goes On Forever
Paolo Nutini - Iron Sky

"Poetry is life distilled." - Gwendolyn Brooks

let the music take over

just one of those days when the weather feels so damn nice that you just wanna be a lazy piece of shit for the day. and since i'm that most days, i decided i would get a few things done and then let the music take over.

got the dishes done this afternoon after i decided i didn't feel like doing them at midnight last night. also, finished The Killing Joke this afternoon. i really enjoyed it. so, it looks like i know where some of my money will be going now.

got a compliment on my beard last night at the grocery store. of course, it was from the 16 year old girl bagging the groceries. i thanked her and then did my best to not do anything to get me arrested.

not sure what i'm going to watch tonight on television. i believe the Yankees are in Kansas City and play at 8 pm. other than that, not a clue. i'm sure there must be a soccer friendly on somewhere. of course, there's always some pro wrestling and the Food Network. i'm sure i'll fall asleep to something.

did have some fun on iTunes today. what amazes me is most of these songs i find that are a few years old come from my brain recalling a certain situation or certain poem that i was writing when that song was playing. quite frankly, it spooks me out at times. but, i enjoy it just as much. you'll see some new names down below.

had a holy shit moment with an old girlfriend who emailed me back today. she brought up something good that happened over 20 years ago. that brought back some memories, let me tell ya. that should allow you to understand some of the music below.

hope this finds everyone well and ready for the weekend. i'll probably be on here early tomorrow, given that all my sports are going to be on Saturday night.

take it easy my friends, and by all means, take it again...

music:

Nickel Creek - Nickel Creek
Mother Love Bone - Mother Love Bone
Conor Oberst - Cape Canaveral
Son Little - Your Love Will Blow Me Away When My Heart Aches
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Learn How to Love
The Jezabels - Dark Storm EP
Neal McCoy - Wink
The Pretty Reckless - Heaven Knows

"I'm just another guy who thinks he's smarter than he is, in a long line of them." - Colin Quinn

do i watch the NBA Finals or do i go grocery shopping?

and before you think of my answer to that question, keep in mind that i am running on something like 4 hours of sleep, if i dare call it that. and given the fact that i tend to enjoy putting myself in uncomfortable situations (better poems), i will be going grocery shopping. now, i will be a kind soul and actually put on some deodorant and cologne. but, i refuse to do anything to my hair. now, the true dilemma is will i wear my purple Macho Man shirt or have another shirt over it? decisions, decisions...

the heating and air guy showed up today to do the normal maintenance on the air conditioner. of course they would show up on a day where it is cool enough that i have all the windows open. life.

i think it was late this morning that i finally, at least a little bit, got over the Game 1 loss by the New York Rangers. when i remembered that the 94 team lost Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final by the same score, i was able to take a breath. of course, i'm not sure if there is another Messier on this team.

the Yankees ended their losing streak today, winning 2-1. Tanaka and the bullpen pitched well enough and the offense did just enough. maybe getting out of New York will wake up the bats. they play tomorrow night in Kansas City.

i went back and checked the submissions i sent out early this morning/late last night. not as many mistakes as i feared. other than getting one email address wrong 3 different times. that was fun.

sent a book out to Sweden today. not nearly as painful as i feared it would be. amazing how simple the post office experience can be when the workers that actually know what the fuck they are doing are working. and, as an added bonus, the amazon.com shipment that i was supposed to get tomorrow was actually ready today. that takes a load off of my mind. that shipment has my mom's birthday gifts in it.

sometime tonight i need to work in a long shower and get some sleep. but not before i do a little reading. i finally have given in to my obsession/fandom with Batman. so i will be reading The Killing Joke (The Deluxe Edition) tonight. i can't wait to see where my life goes now that i have opened that door.

that's pretty much all for today. unless something crazy happens at the grocery store, i will be on here sometime tomorrow. late afternoon most likely. it's supposed to be another beautiful, no humidity kind of day here. perfect for napping.

hope this finds everyone well. don't worry, the weekend is near.

until we meet again my enemies... peace and chicken grease

music:

Pearl Jam - Live on Two Legs
Neil Young - Greatest Hits

"Paradise is exactly like where you are right now... only much, much better." - Laurie Anderson

response from The Camel Saloon

i heard back from Russell at The Camel Saloon on my most recent poetry submission. my poem "too much for even the greatest" has been accepted for publication.

not a good night

you might wonder what i'm doing awake at this hour... i decided to take out my anger on some typing. so, let me go ahead and apologize to the editors for the inevitable fuck ups that are most likely involved.

the New York Rangers blew a 2 goal lead and lost 3-2 in OT. i'm really hoping this doesn't come back to haunt them.

the Yankees blew a 4 run lead and lost 7-4. midway through the game it was announced that Don Zimmer died. that made the post game like a wake.

needless to say, my evening kept going from bad to worse.

i sent out 21 poems over the course of the last 2 hours... 2 to BoySlut. 3 each to Dead Snakes, The Camel Saloon, and Fuck Art, Let's Dance. and 5 each to Regardless of Authority and Zygote in My Coffee. when i hear back from these places i will pass along the verdicts.

the Yankees play later today, in the afternoon. Tanaka is pitching, so they might actually have a chance to win. i'll be back on here after that.

now i'm off to try to get some sleep and not toss and turn and wonder what if...

mother nature has it in for me

it started raining like cats and dogs this morning right as i sat down to take the morning shit. and given how my back hates the rain and tends to lock up when it does rain... imagine my joy as i start to wipe. good times.

i'm writing this before the next line of storms hit here. i'm pretty sure we're over an inch of rain. my fear is that we have another inch or so to go. a few spots in the fields tend to flood pretty easily. and i don't think the soybeans or the corn will last through it. i suppose time will tell.

the Yankees pissed away a rare night of good starting pitching by someone not named Tanaka. the offense can't score more than 2 runs. and the over-worked bullpen finally imploded last night. a 5-2 loss in extra innings. not good. thankfully, i will have a great reason not to watch at all this evening.

the New York Rangers play Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight in Los Angeles. i love that they are the underdog and no one is saying they will win. hopefully, they can steal Game 1 and put all the pressure on the Kings. my entire soul will be fixated on this game tonight.

my mother had a conference she needed to attend in Kentucky today. right across the river. she made it down there before it started to rain. hopefully, her drive home won't be a stormy one.

Deadliest Catch was pretty damn good last night.

late last night i sat down and figured out where i'll be sending 21 poems tomorrow. i'll be a typing monkey tomorrow.

a hello to the fucking teen driver who nearly hit me today in her vehicle that probably cost more than my total life earnings. quick piece of advice. try driving WITHOUT TALKING ON THE FUCKING PHONE. as much as i would like a new vehicle, that accident would have been me taking a direct hit. and i don't trust god to just let me die. i'm pretty sure i will have to suffer and survive the crash.

that's all for today. i'm going to go try to stretch out my back and then get ready for the game tonight. hope everyone had a great day. hopefully it isn't a dreary, rainy mess where you live.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

St. Vincent - Digital Witness
Buffalo Killers - The Path Before Me
Mike Mattison - Midnight In Harlem
The Black Angels - Evil Things
Shooter Jennings - The Gunslinger

"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." - P.J. O'Rourke

a sleepy day under the fan

one of the joys of not getting much sleep at night is the afternoon nap that comes out of nowhere. i believe i lost a few hours this afternoon sleeping in my chair. oh well, just means i'll be up later tonight.

the Yankees dropped another turd last night, losing 10-2.  they start a series with the A's tonight. this smells like a sweep coming on. hopefully, and soon, the team finds rock bottom so they can start to rise. nothing worse than watching overpaid guys who don't give a shit.

Monday Night Raw was painful for most of the night. not many good segments at all. and then the last 10 minutes happened. i always love when something happens that i didn't see coming. Seth Rollins turning heel would be right up there. that was a great holy shit moment. and the beat down of his former partners was vicious. saved the whole show in my eyes and sets up for an interesting summer.

i am all caught up on Louie now. all 4 episodes i watched last night were really good.

other than napping today, most of today was spent reading emails (when the fuck did i get this popular) and watching the media day festivities for the Stanley Cup Final. the butterflies are starting to form for that tomorrow. i will be beyond pumped up for that.

tonight will be as little of the Yankees as i can stand and some Deadliest Catch.

saw a rough cut of the work Janne Karlsson and i have done. it looks fucking spectacular.

sometime tonight or early tomorrow, i need to figure out where i am sending the poems i set aside the other night. i believe i have to find 1 more to add to the bunch to be able to send to everywhere i want to. most likely 5 places in all. all that will be done by Friday at the latest.

i will be on here probably early afternoon tomorrow. i'm setting aside a ton of time to get my mind right before the Stanley Cup Final begins. i haven't truly given a shit about one of these in 20 years. and i'm certainly not 18 anymore. it's mostly trying to make sure i don't keel over and die while watching the games. my devotion runs that deep, yes. so, for the next 2 weeks, if i'm in a shitty mood and you can't figure out why, please assume that the New York Rangers aren't doing as well as i would have liked.

hope everyone had a great day. or maybe your day was like this:

be well. be creative. be more dirty than your imagination...

peace

music:

Barbarian Overlords - The Harvester
Pantera - I'm Broken
Fidlar - Cheap Beer
Lamb of God - Redneck
Metallica - Bleeding Me

"Poets are Damned... but See with the Eyes of Angels." - Allen Ginsberg

while waiting in line at the post office for 20 minutes...

as much as i like living in a small town, waiting in line at the post office for 20 minutes to pick up a package that couldn't fit in my po box is painful. especially when the jackass in front of the line is one of these assholes that makes a living selling shit off of ebay and is somehow fascinated with stamps that have Charlton Heston on them. worse yet, the fucker didn't know he was dead. this spiraled into a conversation about the postal rules of how long you have to wait to get on a stamp. at this point, i was ready to kill myself. the next lady needed 100 postcards that were already stamped. now, you would think these dumb fucks would have such shit already sorted out for the customer. i mean, 100 is a nice round number. no such luck for me. the clerk counted out 100 by hand. i really wish i was making this shit up. the next two ladies just needed stamps. thankfully, the lady in front of me smelled nice. i tried my best not to be a fucking creep and sniff loudly. of course, her kid comes in to give her the purse she left in the car. there goes that boner. finally, i got up to the clerk. i had a yellow card, which means there's a package in the back. i tell her my po box number and she asks for it again. this is as she is holding the card with the number of the po box on it. if anyone ever questions why i "joke" about murdering everyone in this town, you now know why. of course, that last line will have the cops watching my every move for a few weeks. they have nothing else to do. and sadly, that line isn't satire. the crime rate here is really low. which is good, as i rarely lock anything, especially my truck. please, someone steal that piece of shit.

i watched some of Game 7 last night. i was a little shocked Chicago blew a lead of 2 goals at home. that will eat them all summer. so, the Stanley Cup Final is set between New York and Los Angeles. i guess who handles the plane flights the best will win this series. it will certainly be a bitch if the series goes long, like every series the Kings are in. i love that my Rangers are the underdog. hopefully they can steal Game 1 on Wednesday.

the shows last night were excellent. Total Divas was really good. i love the behind the scenes shit at WrestleMania. Nurse Jackie was a weird one, much like detoxing is. Californication made me laugh, as always. Penny Dreadful was brilliant once again. such a great show. Silicon Valley was great. Veep set up the season finale pretty well last night. Last Week Tonight was great last night. i was a little amazed i got through them all without falling asleep.

tonight, the Yankees play Seattle at home to make up for a rain out earlier in the season. i'll watch a little of that. but, most of tonight will be Monday Night Raw. after that, i need to catch up on Louie. i'm hoping by typing it i will actually remember to do so.

it's been threatening to rain all damn day. i wish it would as my back is killing me. always fun when every part of your back feels like it is going to seize up on you in a flash. then, when the rain moves through, the back feels fine. damn you mother nature.

that's all for me. below you will see my musings on iTunes at 3 in the morning. good times...

be well. be creative. be open to the needs of a horny old poet...

peace and chicken grease...

music:

John Prine - It's a Big Old Goofy World
Pistol Annies - Hell On Heels
Grouplove - Let Me In
Sneaker Pimps - 6 Underground
The Killers - When You Were Young

"Some folk want their luck buttered." - Thomas Hardy

open swing

my poem "open swing" has been published at Pyrokinection. you can find the poem by going here: http://www.pyrokinection.com/2014/06/a-poem-by-jj-campbell.html

cooling off

i decided i would take a few hours before i wrote this blog today. if i would have got on here right after the Yankees game, i'd be in jail.

i mentioned to my mother yesterday about not liking how many pitches it took for the Yankees closer to get 3 outs. and then i uttered, watch, that will come back to bite him soon. sure enough, soon was today. first pitch of the 9th, the Twins homer to tie the game at 2. this started my tirade of language that would have made sailors blush. the Yankees go on to lose 7-2 by the way. i know that DRob is not the hammer of god, but the dumb fuck has got to be better at getting outs quickly. shit, i know most everyone playing defense behind you is close to getting social security, but fuck, use them once in awhile. the trying to strike everyone out method isn't working. i really wish they had the guts to try Betances at closer just once. he, apparently, can strike out everyone. took 19 pitches to get 6 outs, striking out 5. it took DRob 26 pitches to get 2 outs and give up 4 runs. they play again tomorrow, probably getting humbled by King Felix yet again.

at least Team USA won today, 2-1, in their friendly against Turkey. i liked that they really tried to attack as much as possible. i'd love this if their defense played like something better than dog shit. you can't play 90 minutes of emergency defending in the World Cup and expect to win. and please, for the love of god, be clinical when you do get a chance. they should have scored at least 5 times today. that being said, Turkey should have had 3 at the very least. but, a victory beer is a victory beer.

the NBA Finals is set. a rematch from last season. if the finals are like last year, i will be entertained.

i did watch ROH last night. another really good episode. i'm really going to have to consider getting that ppv later in the month.

my good friend, Swedish artist Janne Karlsson drew me my bio today. i'm going to use this fucker whenever i can.

i'm going to somehow try to watch most of Game 7 between Chicago and Los Angeles and try to watch all my Sunday night shows and get to bed before 3 in the morning. i don't like my chances.

the usual shows for tonight; Total Divas season finale, Penny Dreadful, Californication, Nurse Jackie, Veep, Silicon Valley season finale (way too soon for that sadly), and Last Week Tonight. i should be able to get most of the first period of the hockey game in before the shows come on.

i'm starting to wonder if the raccoon has eaten some of the cats that are missing. i only saw 6 cats yesterday and 9 today. i do believe one of the 15 is dead. but five more would be quite the shock. i did some snooping around today as i was putting out some raccoon repellent. i didn't see any signs of death, but i know we have had this in the past.

the corn is really coming up nicely out here. we're supposed to get some rain this coming week. that and some sunshine should have the soybeans coming up before too long.

that's all for today. not a bad start to the month. of course, it could have been better.

hope everyone is well. hope you have had a great weekend. and hopefully the upcoming week of work won't fucking suck for you.

peace and chicken grease...

music:

The Crystal Method - Busy Child
LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
Portishead - Glory Box
Tricky - Aftermath
The Glitch Mob - Can't Kill Us

"If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything." - Marilyn Monroe